SportsCenter Legend Stuart Scott Passes Away at 49

This Sunday (Jan. 4) brings some heartbreaking news. SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott passed away after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 49.

The longtime ESPN mainstay leaves behind a legacy as one of the greatest sports anchors in modern television. Scott made his ESPN debut in 1993 and had since made himself an instantly recognizable figure with his effortless candor and catchphrases (“Boo-Yah!”). His way with words and hip-hop taste made an instant connection with the audience. Nothing was forced; it was Stuart Scott being Stuart Scott, and it was a joy to watch.

“I think the audience recognized that when Stuart was on, there was going to be something special,” ESPN journalist Steve Levy said. “And to his credit, he brought something special every night he was on.”

Scott touched many with his acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. With an amicability that felt like the Scott we knew, he inspired with his words on fighting and who was he dedicating his fight to: his daughters Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15.

“When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer,” Scott said. “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”

If the amount of people he affected and inspired was any indicator, he lived well. Watch ESPN‘s tribute here and his Jimmy V speech below.